ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will hear on December 11 a petition filed by Advocate Imaan Zainab Mazari and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, against the Islamabad High Court (IHC) order denying them ad-interim relief to stay their ongoing trial before an additional sessions judge in Islamabad.
Mazari and Chattha—co-accused in the case — filed a joint appeal before the Supreme Court through Advocate Faisal Siddiqi under Article 185(3) of the Constitution, seeking to set aside the IHC’s order dated December 1, 2025, which refused to stay the trial “without any just legal cause.”
Judge Mohammad Afzal Majoka of the District and Sessions Court, Islamabad, on December 4 rejected their applications challenging (i) the appointment of a state counsel to represent them in the case registered by the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), and (ii) their acquittal plea in a controversial social media posts case.
The couple urged the Supreme Court to take up the matter urgently, arguing that the criminal trial against them was at its concluding stage. The apex court has fixed the hearing for December 11.
The application stated that the petitioners had filed a criminal revision before the IHC to challenge the trial proceedings on grounds of due process violations under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), particularly the recording of evidence in their absence.
The plea argued that the petitioners have a strong prima facie case because the recording of evidence without their presence violates Section 353 of the CrPC (requiring evidence to be recorded in the presence of the accused), as well as their due process and fair trial rights under Article 10A of the Constitution.
Since the trial is nearing conclusion, the balance of convenience favours the petitioners, the application maintained, contending that the prosecution would not suffer prejudice if the trial were delayed for just two weeks.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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